Iceless refrigerator



C. L. KIK.

ICELESS REFRIGERATOR.

APPUCATlON mm FEB. 21. 1921.

Patented July 11, 1922.

ll Eli lvvlil IN VENTOR CHARLES LJfur 3r r'rys.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES L- KIK, 01 L ANG LE ALIFOR A- ICELESS narmenna'roa.

Application filed February 21, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES L. KIK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Iceless Refrigerators, of which the following is a specification.

It isthe object of this invention to provide improved air circulating means for an iceless refrigerator.

The invention will be readily understood from the following description of the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a refrigera-tor constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation partly in longitudinal section of the refrigerator.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the mounting for the porous material.

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the connection for the lower end of the porous material.

Fig. 5 is a detail section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

The refrigerator consists of an outer casing 1 having the hinged door 2 and having the inner casing 3 formin a food receptacle. The space between the inner and outer casings is shown at 4 and the inner casing 3 may be provided with the usual supporting trays 5 adapted to permit the free circulation of air upwardly through the same. A fan is arranged in the top of the inner casing for drawing air upwardly through the inner casing and discharging the same through the opening 8 in the outer casing.

The wall of the inner casing at the rear of the same is extended to the wall of the outer casing so as to form the closed chamber 10. A sheet of porous material shown at 11 is supported in this chamber. The porous material ma be held by a clip 12 and extends outwar ly and then downwardly over a shelf 13 upon which is mounted a perforated pipe 14. Water is supplied to the pipe 14 through the pipe 15 in order that the porous'material may be saturated at all times. The porous material extends downwardly the entire height of chamber 10 and a drain pipe 16 is preferably provided at the base of said chamber for liquid dripping from the porous material.

An air circulation is arranged to supply Specif cation of Letters Patent.

Patente July 11, 1922.

Serial No. 446,920.

air to chamber 10 at the top of the same and to withdraw said air from the chamber into the inner receptacle of the refrigerator. For this purpose an air supply pipe 17 communioates with chamber 10 adjacent its top. The air will absorb the moisture of the porous material and is then discharged into the inner receptacle of the refrigerator through perforations 18 provided in theportion of the rear wall of easing 3 which is below the lowermost tray 5.

In order to regulate the supply of air to the inner receptacle through open-in 18, a closure plate 20 is preferably slidab e upon the rear wall of casing 3 so as to open and close any desired number of the openings 18. This plate is preferably arranged against the inner surface of the casing wall and is sljidable in guideways 21. It may be provided with a retaining pin 22 mounted upon a handle 23 and adapted to be received in any one of a series of openings 24 in the casing wall for supporting the plate in adjusted raised positions.

In order to prevent the sheet of porous material being drawn against the rear wall of the inner casing and thereby closing openings 18, a screen formed of the wire mesh 27 is preferably positioned in chamber 10 between the openings 18 and the porous material. Free circulation of air through the chamber 10 is thus provided for at all times.

Various changes may be made in the construction as thus set forth without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator including a container and chamber, a perforated water pipe mounted horizontally in the upper part of the chamber, hooks above the water pipe, a clip having side portions forming a longitudinal slot, a porous member fastened in the slot, there being holes in the clip to removably engage the hooks and the porous member extending downwardly in the chamher, an air supply inlet in the upper portion of the chamber, and an air outlet in the lower portion of the chamber and communicating with the lower portion of the container, said inlet and outlet being spaced apart with the porous member spaced between so that air will circulate and pass downwardly through the porous member and upwardly through the container.

2. A refrigerator including a chamber, means for supporting a porous saturated member in said chamber, said means comprising a clip having side portions forming a longitudinal slot, the end of said porous member fastened in said slot, and means for detachably supporting said clip in the upper part of said chamber.

3. A refrigerator having a chamber and a perforated water pipe horizontally disposed at the top of the chamber, hooks above the water pipe, grooved guide members projecting inwardly from opposite sides of the chamber. a clip having side portions form ing a longitudinal slot and transverse open ing through the clip adapted to receive the hooks, and a porous member fastened in the clip and extending into the grooved guide members.

4. A refrigerator including a container, a water supply pipe on the outside of said container, perforations in said pipe, a porous member passed over said perforations and alongside said container.

5. A refrigerator having a container and a chamber, a Water supply pipe having perforations located in the top of said chamber, a porous member supported at its upper end in said chamber and passed over the perforations of said pipe, a trough in the bot tom of said chamber in which said member terminates, means for permitting tne removal of said porous member from said chamber, said means comprising an opening in said chamber and a door for the same, an air inlet at the upper part of said chamher and an air outlet at the lower part of the same, said outlet. communicating with the lower portion of said container. said inlet and outlet spaced apart with said porous member spaced between the same so as to cause all circulating air to pass downwardly through said member and upwardly through said container, and means for hold ing said porous member away from said outlet.

l}. A refrigerator including a container and a chamber alongside the container, a perforated water pipe mounted horizontally at the top of the chamber, hooks above the water pipe, a clip adapted to engage the hooks, and a porous member attached to the clip and extending over the water pipe and downwardly into the chamber.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

CHARLES L. KIK. 

